Revera McConachie Gardens - Edmonton

Faced with finding a place for "Dad", the wife & I toured pretty much everything in the Edmonton area. One place stood out above all the rest. McConachie Gardens. We love it, we can feel good about him being there, and most importantly, he loves it too.

My husband went to this retirement home to get information about having family potentially move in. I couldnt believe when he told me how incredibly rude the staff (even management!!!) was while he was there. he said Place seems incredibly chaotic and poorly managed. He was made to feel that our family wasnt good enough to move in here. Glad that we were able to see these red flags and had them confirmed when we googled revera and saw multiple stories about lawsuits and poor treatment of residents. Dodged a bullet!!!!

Went in looking to find information for my parents and was treated incredibly rudely by sales staff. They seemed incredible flustered and did not seem to have the time to look after my questions. After asking to speak to a manager I was given to someone named Serena who somehow managed to be even more rude and condescending towards me. She continued to mention that this retirement home wasn't in everyones budget. After the way I was treated and doing some research on this company I would never leave my family in their care. Multiple current lawsuits against this company and it doesn't surprise me in the slightest. If this is how they handle perspective residents I hate to see what goes on behind closed doors.

Dad has been in this facility for 8 months now and I have seen such a decline in him. This is definately not a place for the real elderly. The people in charge of the care here have no clue about caring for the elderly. During this isolation time they have not been doing anything for the mental health of their seniors. My Dad feels like he is being treated like a dog since his return from the hospital for a non-related covid incident. He is getting his meals whenever they get around to it. He calls himself an inmate not a resident. Nice facility but beauty is only skin deep. I am supplying him with mental, physical and emotional needs which is not what I expected when I put him there after my Moms passing.

Recently I read two disparaging google reviews about Revera Retirement Living. Carol and I arrived at McConachie Gardens November 2019. Being a caregiver for Carol this was the best move we ever made. I have always maintained its like being on a cruise ship without the water. The staff from the Executive Director and entire management team down to the maintenance, culinary, recreation and medical staff have treated us with respect, dignity and friendliness. The piece of mind I am getting can be attributed to the professionalism shown by all staff members.

My wife and I have enjoyed living in McConachie Gardens for the past 20 months. We have been served by an incredible staff, from cleaning staff to ED. Dining, before Covid, has been one of the special pleasures. A staff who knows all of us by name, that makes every effort to keep us active and involved, that is caring and understanding makes this a home away from home. Covid presents many challenges for all of us, in my view, we are coping well.

Five years ago our mother was diagnosed with dementia. In the fall of 2019, as the result of an accident, it became very clear that it was no longer safe for her to remain in her own home. Although we had tried on numerous occasions to convince mom it would be best if she would move into a seniors residence, her answer always was “The only way I’m leaving here is in a pine box.” So, what are we to do? We had been looking at a number of residences but on the recommendation of a relative who went on a tour of McConachie we decided to check it out. Upon entering the building we immediately felt comfortable. Sheila was extremely knowledgeable and helpful and it was not long before her bubbly and friendly nature got the better of mom who started warming up to her. We were also introduced to Alla, the Director of Health and Wellness, who conducted an assessment of mom. Although we had initially thought Assisted Living would be suitable for mom, Alla determined that the best place for mom would be in memory care as there was a serious concern that she would wander away. Also, the symptoms of dementia were becoming more obvious and mom would need the extra help provided in memory care. As mom really likes to cook it was arranged that mom would move into McConachie Gardens on cookie baking day. When Home Care brought mom into the memory care unit she immediately started helping with the cookies. Although we had anticipated mom would be very upset when she realized she wasn’t returning home, everything went very smoothly only because of the way staff responded to mom. Of course there have been a few bumps in the road. Mom is 86 years old and has been living by herself in her own home and is used to doing things in a certain way. However thanks to Alla and her staff, the transition for mom has gone very well. We are always made to feel very welcome whenever we visit mom and have had a number of lunches and dinners with her. The food is gourmet! They are well thought out and very tasty. Mom said she loves the food and lately has taken to referring to McConachie Gardens as her home. McConachie Gardens has everything. From the Bistro where coffee, tea and snacks are available, to a dining room where you can order off the menu if the dinner being served isn’t to your liking. There is a great deal of effort put into providing all residents ( independent living, assisted living and memory care) with numerous activities on a daily basis. There is a dog walk because they allow pets which is great! The interaction between staff and the residents is incredible. They do everything they can to make the residents feel comfortable and provide them with the best environment they can and of course make them feel like they are home. If you are looking for a senior residence for a loved one we highly recommend McConachie Gardens. From the facility itself, to the staff, to the many activities and outings provided to the residents it’s a wonderful place to spend your senior years. I would just like to add, I wrote this review in 2020 before COVID overtook all our lives. I know things have had to change at McConachie because of COVID but it doesn't change my opinion in any way. I can't wait for things to get back to normal so I can participate with my mom in all the great things they used to do. Geri and Ron – daughter and son

Our mother moved to supportive/assisted living in McConachie Gardens in February 2020. It is a newer and clean facility with considerable staffing support. We were particularly grateful for McConachie coordinating the medical supports for our mother with her family physician. The nursing station and LPN's on site would follow the directives of her physician and also relay information about our mother's care to her doctor. Additionally, they kept our family informed of any changes in her health so we could also play a role in coordinating care with the doctor and staff on site. It was clear to me a number of staff members knew our mother very well and she had fond and close relationships with them. The commitment to care and the flexibility we experience at McConachie meant mother was able to stay in the same facility, and even the same room, from her entry into assisted living through compassionate end of life care. It also meant the care team had a keen understanding of our mother's needs and would call us into the facility when they believed it was required. Knowing we could rely on them to communicate with us as necessary was especially important and helpful as we looked after our mother through COVID 19 restrictions and did not have the same flexibility in visiting as we did prior. The coordination between our family and staff was exceptional. We took great comfort in knowing our mother was well cared for and our family made a good decision in placing her in McConachie Gardens.